Associating wireless control devices

Abstract

A load control system may include one or more wireless control devices that may be associated via a programming device. An identifier for a first wireless control device may be determined in response to an actuation of a button on the first wireless control device. An association between the first wireless control device and a second wireless control device may be defined at the programming device. The identifier for the first wireless control device may be transmitted to the second wireless control device, which may cause the first wireless control device to enter a sleep mode. The first wireless control device may enter the sleep mode after an actuation of a button on the first wireless control device. The identifier may be determined in response to the actuation of the button on the first wireless control device and/or prior to the first wireless control device entering the sleep mode.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An electrical load control system, comprising:
 a gateway device that includes:
 first communication circuitry to wirelessly communicate with a control device second communication circuitry to wirelessly communicate with one or more control-target devices; 
 memory circuitry; and 
 control circuitry to:
 responsive to an input to place the gateway device in an association mode: receive a unique identifier associated with a control device; 
 receive an input that includes identification of one or more control-target devices; 
 determine whether a group exists that includes the one or more control-target devices; 
 responsive to a determination that a group exists that includes the one or more target control devices:
 communicate data representative of a first group identifier to the control device; 
 generate a logical association between the first group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device; and 
 store data representative of the logical association between the first group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device in memory circuitry; and 
 
 periodically broadcast the data representative of the logical association between the first group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device. 
 
 
 
     
     
       2. The electrical load control system of  claim 1 , the control circuitry to further:
 responsive to a determination that a group does not exist that includes each of the one or more target control devices:
 generate a new group identifier associated with the one or more control-target devices; 
 communicate data representative of the new group identifier to the control device; 
 generate a logical association between the new group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device; 
 store data representative of the logical association between the new group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device in memory circuitry; and 
 periodically broadcast the data representative of at least one of the logical association between the new group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device. 
 
 
     
     
       3. The electrical load control system of  claim 2 , wherein the periodic broadcast of at least one of the data representative of the logical association between the new group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device or the data representative of the logical association between the first group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device occurs responsive to an intermittent signal received from the control device via the first communication circuitry. 
     
     
       4. The electrical load control system of  claim 3 , wherein the first communication circuitry receives the intermittent signal from the control device at an interval of one hour or greater. 
     
     
       5. The electrical load control system of  claim 1 , the control circuitry to further:
 communicate data representative of at least one of: the first group identifier or the new group identifier to each of the control-target devices included in the respective group. 
 
     
     
       6. The electrical load control system of  claim 1 , the control circuitry to further:
 communicate, via network communication circuitry, data representative of at least one of: the first group identifier or the new group identifier to an external device. 
 
     
     
       7. The electrical load control system of  claim 6 , the control circuitry to further:
 communicate, via the network communication circuitry, data representative of each of the control-target devices associated with at least one of: the first group identifier or the new group identifier to the external device. 
 
     
     
       8. An electrical load control method, comprising:
 receiving, at gateway device control circuitry, a signal to place the gateway device control circuitry in an association mode; 
 receiving, by the control circuitry, a unique identifier associated with a control device; 
 receiving, by the control circuitry, an input that includes identification of one or more control-target devices; 
 determining, by the control circuitry, whether a group exists that includes the one or more control-target devices; 
 responsive to a determination, by the control circuitry, that a group exists that includes the one or more target control devices:
 communicating, by the control circuitry, data representative of a first group identifier to the control device; 
 generating, by the control circuitry, a logical association between the first group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device; and 
 causing, by the control circuitry, a storage of data representative of the logical association between the first group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device in memory circuitry; and 
 
 causing, by the control circuitry, a periodic broadcast of the data representative of the logical association between the first group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device. 
 
     
     
       9. The electrical load control method of  claim 8 , the method to further:
 responsive to a determination, by the control circuitry, that a group does not exist that includes each of the one or more target control devices:
 generating, by the control circuitry, a new group identifier associated with the one or more control-target devices; 
 causing, by the control circuitry, a communication of data representative of the new group identifier to the control device; 
 generating, by the control circuitry, a logical association between the new group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device; and 
 causing a storage of data representative of the logical association between the new group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device in memory circuitry; and 
 
 causing, by the control circuitry, a periodic broadcast of the data representative of at least one of the logical association between the new group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device. 
 
     
     
       10. The electrical load control method of  claim 8 , wherein causing, by the control circuitry, the periodic broadcast of the data representative of the logical association between the first group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device further comprises:
 causing, by the control circuitry, the periodic broadcast of the data representative of the logical association between the first group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device responsive to an intermittent signal received from the control device. 
 
     
     
       11. The electrical load control method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 causing, by the control circuitry, a communication of data representative of the first group identifier to each of the control-target devices included in the first group. 
 
     
     
       12. The electrical load control method of  claim 9 , wherein causing, by the control circuitry, the periodic broadcast of the data representative of the logical association between the new group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device further comprises:
 causing, by the control circuitry, the periodic broadcast of the data representative of the logical association between the new group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device responsive to an intermittent signal received from the control device. 
 
     
     
       13. The electrical load control method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 causing, by the control circuitry, a communication of data representative of the new group identifier to each of the control-target devices included in the respective group. 
 
     
     
       14. A non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device that includes instructions that, when executed by gateway device control circuitry, cause the control circuitry to:
 receive a signal to place the gateway device control circuitry in an association mode; 
 receive a unique identifier associated with a control device; 
 receive an input that includes identification of one or more control-target devices; 
 determine whether a group exists that includes the one or more control-target devices; 
 responsive to a determination, by the control circuitry, that a group exists that includes the one or more target control devices:
 communicate data representative of a first group identifier to the control device; 
 generate a logical association between the first group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device; and 
 cause a storage of data representative of the logical association between the first group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device in memory circuitry; and 
 
 cause a periodic broadcast of the data representative of the logical association between the first group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device. 
 
     
     
       15. The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of  claim 14 , wherein responsive to a determination that a group does not exist that includes each of the one or more target control devices the instructions cause the control circuitry to further:
 generate a new group identifier associated with the one or more control-target devices; 
 cause a communication of data representative of the new group identifier to the control device; 
 generate a logical association between the new group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device; and 
 cause a storage of data representative of the logical association between the new group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device in memory circuitry; and 
 cause a periodic broadcast of the data representative of at least one of the logical association between the new group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device. 
 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of  claim 14 , wherein the instructions that cause the control circuitry to cause the periodic broadcast of the data representative of the logical association between the first group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device further cause the control circuitry to:
 cause the periodic broadcast of the data representative of the logical association between the first group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device responsive to an intermittent signal received from the control device. 
 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions further cause the control circuitry to:
 cause a communication of data representative of the first group identifier to each of the control-target devices included in the first group. 
 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions that cause the control circuitry to cause the periodic broadcast of the data representative of the logical association between the new group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device further cause the control circuitry to:
 cause the periodic broadcast of the data representative of the logical association between the new group identifier and the unique identifier associated with the control device responsive to an intermittent signal received from the control device. 
 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory, machine-readable, storage device of  claim 18 , wherein the instructions further cause the control circuitry to:
 cause a communication of data representative of the new group identifier to each of the control-target devices included in the respective group.